title: Estimating benchmark concentrations and other noncancer endpoints in epidemiology studies.
abstract: Methods for evaluating the hazards associated with noncancer responses with epidemiologic data are considered. The methods for noncancer risk assessment have largely been developed for experimental data, and are not always suitable for the more complex structure of epidemiologic data. In epidemiology, the measurement of the response and the exposure is often either continuous or dichotomous. For a continuous noncancer response modeled with multiple regression, a variety of endpoints may be examined: (1) the concentration associated with absolute or relative decrements in response; (2) a threshold concentration associated with no change in response; and (3) the concentration associated with a particular added risk of impairment. For a dichotomous noncancer response modeled with logistic regression, concentrations associated with specified added/extra risk or with a threshold responses may be estimated. No-observed-effect concentrations may also be estimated for categorizations of exposures for both continuous and dichotomous responses but these may depend on the arbitrary categories chosen. Respiratory function in miners exposed to coal dust is used to illustrate these methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Miami University, Oxford 45056-1641, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bailer
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Stayner
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kuempel
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Prince
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D044383:Black People; D001827:Body Height; D003032:Coal Mining; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004194:Disease; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004391:Dust; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D004391:Dust